US President George W. Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi turned from payloads to playlists Friday as they wrapped up their two-day "Love Me Tender" summit with a pilgrimage to Elvis Presley's mansion.
They left weighty discussions of North Korean missiles, Iran and Iraq at the White House for a trip through the Graceland home of the late "King of Rock and Roll" - and a little "private time" in the 14-acre estate's meditation garden.
Foreign leaders with suspicious minds could be forgiven for thinking that the special trip somewhat cheapened the invitations to Bush's Texas ranch, which had been the prize diplomatic plum for US allies to date.
With Elvis's former wife, Priscilla, and his daughter, Lisa Marie, as guides, the two leaders were to get a somewhat more leisurely version of the tour taken by some 600,000 people annually, said Graceland spokesman David Beckwith.
Among the highlights: Elvis's television room, where he installed three TVs after seeing a similar set-up in the Oval Office, and the Hawaiian-theme "Jungle Room," where the rocker recorded "Live From Elvis Presley Boulevard."
They were to see the so-called "trophy room" hallway that is home to some of The King's awards, as well as the all-leather outfit he wore for his 1968 comeback special, but they were not allowed to try anything on, said Beckwith.
They were also barred from the upstairs of Graceland - the public is not allowed in that private area - but they were to walk away with gifts: Bush was to get a belt buckle from one of Elvis's costumes, while Koizumi was to get a vintage movie poster, said the spokesman.
First Lady Laura Bush was to get a "TLC" necklace, which stands for "tender loving care," a frequent gift from Elvis to women, while men would receive "TCB" - "takin' care of business" - items with a lightning symbol, he said.
Elvis never went to Japan, and his only real stay outside the United States came when he was stationed in Germany while in the US Army, Beckwith told reporters near a prune-colored 1956 Cadillac Eldorado convertible.
Koizumi, who steps down in September, is a confessed Elvis fanatic who shares The King's January 8 birthday - though he was born seven years after Presley - and he often quotes and even sings from the rocker's songbook.
The visit seemed unlikely to usher in a new diplomatic era in which Bush would abandon lavish official dinners at the White House or informal barbecues at his "Prairie Chapel" ranch in Texas in favour of US tourist spots.
But some in Bush's entourage jokingly wondered whether he would take French President Jacques Chirac to see the World's Biggest Ball of Twine, in Kansas, or bring British Prime Minister Tony Blair to see "Old Faithful," the famous geyser in Yellowstone National Park.
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